This invention relates generally to devices and systems for controlled dispensing of medications and other pharmaceutical items in a hospital environment or nursing home or the like. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved medication dispenser station and related method of operation for providing relatively simple yet controlled access to a wide range of pharmaceutical items, concurrently with generation and maintenance of an accurate, detailed access record.
In a hospital environment or the like, a large number of pharmaceutical items such as medications, syringes, dressings, etc. are used in the course of individualized medical treatment provided to multiple patients. Such pharmaceutical items are normally stocked at a centralized location in a hospital pharmacy for periodic distribution to nursing stations or the like located throughout the hospital facility. Such distribution of pharmaceutical items is tailored to the specific needs of each nursing station, particularly with respect to the individual medical treatment requirements for patients assigned to each nursing station. For example, many medications are typically prescribed by physicians for administration to specific patients according to a particular time schedule. Other medications and pharmaceutical items are normally stocked at the nursing station for use on an as needed basis.
At each nursing station, the pharmaceutical items are stored for access by nursing personnel in accordance with individual patient requirements. In this regard, many items are normally maintained in unlocked storage for easy and substantially unrestricted access, while other items such as narcotic medications are normally retained in locked storage to prevent unauthorized access and theft. For all pharmaceutical items, however, withdrawal of pharmaceutical items from inventory is accompanied by updating of the medication administration record (MAR) for the appropriate patient. In this regard, such record maintenance is an important function of nursing personnel to confirm the treatment regimen for each patient, to insure proper charging of patient accounts, and to permit accurate tracking of the pharmaceutical inventory. Unfortunately, due to the exigencies of a typical nursing environment, the medication records are often incomplete and/or inaccurate. As a result, the inventory of some or all of the pharmaceutical items is regularly checked, such as at the conclusion of each nursing shift, in an effort to reduce recording and/or treatment errors and further to minimize pilferage losses.
In recent years, a variety of devices and systems have been proposed in attempts to provide improved inventory control for pharmaceutical items in a hospital environment or the like. Many such devices have contemplated individual medication dispensers located at bedside in association with individual patients. However, the use of multiple bedside dispensers can be relatively costly and further requires regular manual attention to ensure proper loading and individualized programming for each patient. Other systems have envisioned centralized units at a nursing station or the like for maintaining different medications and related pharmaceutical items under locked storage. While such centralized units have provided improved safety and enhanced record keeping for narcotic substances, such units have unduly restricted access to many routine pharmaceutical items. Accordingly, prior centralized medication units have not met with commercial acceptance on any significant scale.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for an improved medication dispenser station designed for storage of a wide range of pharmaceutical items at a centralized location in a medical facility, wherein those pharmaceutical items are relatively easily accessed by authorized personnel in a manner which generates and maintains accurate access records. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.